5 Facts About Fungal Infections

5 FACTS ABOUT FUNGAL INFECTIONS

1. Fungal infections can be as common as athlete’s foot, ringworm, dandruff, or vaginal yeast infections. Some fungal infections are serious and can be deadly, especially for those with compromised immune systems.
2. Serious fungal infections affect 300 million individuals, and it is estimated that more than 1.5 million people die from these infections each year.
3. The drugs used to treat fungal infections, antifungals, are becoming less effective as fungi build resistance to the treatments. Increasing resistance is associated with inappropriate use of antifungal agents in humans, animals, and agriculture.
4. A lack of access to diagnostic tests and treatments as well as the growth of antifungal drug resistance have increased the burden of fungal disease, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
5. Modern agricultural practices, such as the widespread planting of genetically identical crops protected by one or two inbred resistance genes, have increased antifungal resistance.